Most animals shown at the Graham County Fair have gone through months of healthy meals, regular exercise and grooming in preparation for the competition and the livestock auction.

Matt Baker, president of the Graham County 4-H Club, knows about the amount of work and commitment required to raise and show a pig. His Hampshire pig earned a third-place ribbon in its weight class.

He bought the pig when it was about 2 months old and weighed less than 40 pounds. Five months later, the black and white pig weighed 290 pounds.

Safford FFA member Chase Ward shows how to “brace” a lamb in the show ring at the Graham County Fair. Photo by Diane Saunders

In the five months Baker raised the pig, he had to make sure it received the correct amount of feed. He also exercised the animal twice a day.

“We practice showing them (in preparation) for the show ring,” Baker said.

Pigs do not sweat and are sensitive to heat and the sun. Baker had to provide his pig with a mud- hole because wallowing in the mud keeps the animal cool and protects it from the sun.

“We’ve got to keep them out of the sun and sometimes put sunscreen on them,” Baker said of caring for pigs.

Hard work and detailed care also apply to raising a steer for the fair. Chase Ward, a Safford High School senior and a member of the school’s FFA chapter, said this is the fourth year he has shown a steer and the eighth year he has shown a lamb.

“It’s a lot of work. It takes a lot of time,” Ward said. “It’s a lot of fun.”

Ward’s 1,290-pound steer garnered a red ribbon at the fair, and his lamb earned a second place overall in the heavyweight division.

He explained some of the criteria judges use when judging livestock at the fair.

“Fat’s a good thing. You want a little fat but not a lot of fat,” Ward said. “You want a lot of muscle.”

Like Baker, Ward spent a significant amount of time with his animals in preparation for the fair.

“You’ve got to work with them on a regular basis,” he said.

His livestock projects will pay dividends when he goes to college next year. Money he made from raising the animals will go toward college expenses. His experience will also pay off later in life.

“I want to raise cattle later on,” Ward said. “I’d like to go to vet school — become a veterinarian.”

He admitted there is a bit of a letdown after the livestock auction and the fair closes until next year.

“It’s hard; it’s tough. It takes a lot of work to get here, and it’s gone in four days,” Ward said.